


Oh, I See You

by charcoalscenes



Series: Backdated Publications [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-17
Updated: 2011-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29637192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charcoalscenes/pseuds/charcoalscenes
Summary: Everyone's noticed that his monsters have been acting strange as of late, and it starts with one in particular. It starts with her.(Posted to AO3 on February 2021 with a Backdated Publication date from when it posted to Tumblr.)
Relationships: Mutou Yuugi/Sairento Majishan | Silent Magician
Series: Backdated Publications [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170983





	1. Oh, I see you.

**Author's Note:**

> Actual publication into AO3 is on February 2021. This is an old piece I shared on Tumblr and wanted to post using this site's Backdate feature. More older fics will likely be added onto the Backdated Publications series, so for anyone interested in this piece or in checking out the others, enjoy!

It was during the duel with Kaiba last Tuesday when he first noticed. At summoning the monster, everything still seemed to be flowing quite smoothly - or at least as smoothly as Kaiba would allow. Though the duels between the two of them weren’t filled with as much ruthless competition as the ones between him and Atem, Seto Kaiba was still determined to make Yuugi sweat as much as he could.

However, by the time he had powered up the Silent Magician once more, he knew that something was amiss. Kaiba’s holographic monsters were quite realistic, yes, but they rarely ever looked over their shoulder to smile at their duelists. They also hardly ever winked, unless perhaps the illustration of the monster looked distinctly Looney-Tunes- like - and even then, the winks were always simply playful, and nothing more. And when Yuugi finally boosted up her power to level eight, he could have sworn that the Magician seemed noticeably smug as he called out his last attack and won the duel.

But it was only just before the duel ended that he truly discovered that something was just Not Quite Normal with his monster. Holograms were supposed to disappear as soon as the duel ended. Though even as the lights from the machines at the edge of their battlefield faded out completely, signaling the lack of power to emit the holographic monsters, the Silent Magician remained. Yuugi’s eyes widened, and though he did not register it, Seto Kaiba also remained still and observant from his side, analyzing the unusual phenomenon before him and trying to pinpoint any technological defects that could have triggered it. 

Yet a full moment passed, and Yuugi still found himself gaping at the tall, intimidating figure before him. He did not feel uneasy in the least - though the Magician stood at a magnificent height, she still seemed elegant, and her expression was never harsh. At the moment, though, it was not only void of the ruthlessness inherent in almost all monsters, but it seemed to be…filled with a seemingly living warmth; the way her eyes softened just a fraction, the way her lips curved prettily amidst her boyish looks, and the way her shoulders sagged just enough to seem relaxed made Yuugi feel as though the Magician was really looking at him for the first time - as though she was acknowledging him, taking him in, measuring him up, and liking what she saw. And he knew that if she had stayed any longer, that small, pretty smile would have made him blush and fidget for sure.

As she finally dissipated, he saw Seto Kaiba marching towards him until he took the place where the Magician once floated, and took his turn to stare down at the King of Games. 

“Well, Yuugi,” he ventured sardonically, his hard eyes studying the other duelist as though observing him would give him an answer for how his technology suddenly exhibited such unexpected behavior. “That certainly was strange. Is there any chance that perhaps you can explain to me how your monster was able to break through its program just for a chance to flirt with you?”

“F-Flirt?” Yuugi stammered, blinking quite innocently despite his replying blush.

Kaiba gave a dismissing “Humph” before shaking his head and leaving, his signature coat blowing dramatically as he made his way to his limo. Yuugi stared after him before cautiously removing his deck from his duel disk. He shuffled it briefly before pulling out the top card, already having a pretty good guess as to what monster it would be.

“How did you do that?” He asked her, not rhetorically, though he was aware that - in this form, at least - she would be unable to answer. The Level 8 Silent Magician remained still and fittingly silent as he continued, though he felt as though he was not just speaking to himself but to a being who could really listen to him, despite the utter absence of magic at the moment. “That was…amazing. And strange. Could it be… Are you… _ real _ ?”

Nobody was there to reply, of course, but he felt as though he received an answer nonetheless. The warmth that somehow radiated from the card, the gentle breeze that passed like a lingering embrace, mixed with the memory of her smile somehow made him believe. And for once, he was actually looking forward to the next time Seto Kaiba would stubbornly and irritatingly ask him to duel for his title again.


	2. By your side

He now felt only a little reminiscent whenever his monsters exhibited their by-now-usual exuberant behavior when he dueled. It didn’t take long for him to be completely at ease with the way his monsters sometimes giggled, smirked, winked, growled, and so-on - in a way that was unique from how anyone else’s monsters behaved during battles. 

It was one of the quirky things that became a signature in his duels and that even his fans and the press were aware of. The majority believed that his duel disk - or maybe even his deck itself - contained a special program in it that affected the way his holograms acted even outside of duels, that made them seem more realistic and humane, and that said program was put in there by Kaiba Corporation in an attempt to promote the game. Seto Kaiba, predictably, made no comment, as he had too much pride to openly admit that he honestly had no idea just how and why Yuugi’s monsters acted the way that they did and that it certainly was no program of his that caused it.

He had always felt a little safer when the Black Magician came into play - especially when accompanied by his giddy apprentice. The two spellcasters were still loyal to him, and seeing them on his side of the battlefield always gave him a bit more confidence - even more so now that it was common to see the two glance over their shoulders to smile reassuringly at him each time he drew a new card. So many of his monsters did that, and though he always had the urge to question just how it was possible for them to seem so…so  _ real _ , he never did - especially not during a duel.

Yet here he was, deciding that he was finally going to do it. It wasn’t a duel - he just wanted to find out why his deck was so gorgeously magical even in the absence of actual magic. Despite that all of his monsters illustrated the kind of quirky behavior that the Black Magician Girl especially seemed so keen to exhibit, he still felt more of an urge to speak with one other monster the most. Once again, he drew her card right away, as it reached the top of his deck more frequently as of late, and took his time observing the card’s illustration. Then he activated his duel disk and placed the Silent Magician Level 8 on the machine. Since he had no opponent and it was thus not an actual duel, the disk interpreted his playing her as him testing the holographic system’s efficiency, and so she appeared right away in her higher level, peering at him through her bangs with an amused expression.

“How can you be so real?” He asked right away, feeling like he could be at complete ease with her. “I’ve seen other duels, with other monsters, and they don’t seem as real as you. Maybe you can’t speak, but…but if you still have some way of answering, of proving to me and everyone else that this isn’t just some glitch or virus or our imagination, then…then, can you, please?”

She started to lean forward, and he suddenly recalled a moment when he caught the pharaoh holding onto the Black Magician card before playing it. Atem had all but openly caressed it, had stared at his most loyal, signature warrior with a look that was blatantly affectionate before summoning him. Atem had told Yuugi, once, before he had even discovered that he was once a pharaoh, that the Black Magician had always seemed special to him, that as soon as he first summoned the monster, it was as though an unspoken bond was made - as though Atem would feel forever protected so long as the knowledge that the Black Magician would be by his side remained.

Yuugi could have sworn that he now felt the same thing. He could have sworn that he felt something that irrevocably attached him to this monster, especially now, when she seemed so real, when she moved towards him, near him, without his command or by any effect of a duel. He felt genuinely secure despite the perplexity of the situation, and completely calm in the face of her serenity, even as her cannot-be-real but warm lips touched his brow before pulling back to gauge his reaction.

It was his answer. He still didn’t know how this was possible. He had no magic. The Items were gone, buried, and the bond between him and the pharaoh - though emotionally and truly still strong - was, in all practical ways, broken and destroyed when Atem finally left for the afterlife. And yet here was his monster, smiling at him, kissing him, letting him share her warmth - a warmth that shouldn’t exist. It should’ve unnerved him. He should’ve speculated whether or not there might be dark forces once again amok that he should go after, that could be responsible for this unreal phenomenon, but he couldn’t. It felt right. It felt…

He chuckled and scratched the back of his head. He could feel himself blushing softly, but he still chose to meet her gaze before murmuring, “Thank you,” and hoping that she knew what he felt was so obvious in his voice. She - them, his deck - made him feel just a little bit safer, a little less lonely in the absence of the man who was once his other self. “So, you’re real. That’s-… You’re amazing.”

It seemed like it was okay to be blunt with her because she only smiled wider in reply before dissipating, knowing that this was all that needed to be said and done for now. He found that he was still smiling even as his duel disk deactivated completely and he made his way back home. Through the whole walk, it still felt like his heart was warm, like he was far from alone even as no one walked beside him. He knew that there would always be someone beside him now. 


End file.
